Class IX student gets awarded for overcoming incredible odds

A month after the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister announced to aide <g data-gr-id="17">Harender</g> Singh Chauhan with Rs five lakh, the Noida District administration on Wednesday gave it to Chauhan’s family for assisting him in his education. 

The District Magistrate NP Singh called <g data-gr-id="21">Harender’s</g> family at his office and rewarded a Rs five lakh cheque, received from the state government. Singh also assured the family to help them in any work related to district administration such as civic and other authorities to live a healthy and peaceful life.

Harendra, a ninth standard student, had to sit earlier on a footpath with a weighing scale to fund his education and spend his evening outside Noida City Centre Metro station. He, along with his weighing scale, kept studying with notebooks under the light of road lamps. 

Harendra was invited earlier by Akhilesh Yadav to Lucknow after a Facebook post drew attention to his plight which went viral. Harendra said he was happy that the DM had called him. “I am grateful to the District Magistrate NM Singh sir. However, I do not want any other help as now my father has got a job, I am confident he will be able to support me and my family.” Earlier, Harendra had refused a cycle offered to him by Singh. 

Akhilesh had also asked the Noida administration to keep an eye on Harendra’s academic needs. “As and when required, we will pitch in with funds for his education so that he can achieve his goals, the money given by the CM will be kept in a fixed deposit account so that the interest generated 

from the amount can be utilised as a steady source of fund for Harendra’s education,” said NP Singh.